By Bill Pluecker The American public has been conditioned to believe that cheap food is a public good — that rock-bottom prices at the grocery store represent agricultural success. But this myth obscures the truth: Our food system is designed not to nourish communities but to extract wealth from the workers, farmers, animals, and rural
A marvelous and inspiring group of young people led our public policy panel at the 2024 Common Ground Country Fair in the Spotlight tent. Heather Spalding, deputy director of MOFGA, moderated the event, asking the panelists about their experiences working for change within their own organizations or while on the Maine Climate Council. We were
Our small farmers and local food systems have been directly targeted by USDA cuts during the first months of the Trump administration including: Investing in our farms and local food system is critical for ensuring that we will be able to feed our communities. Maine is unique in that the average age of our farmers
The Senate Appropriations Committee, of which Sen. Collins is the chair, has begun meeting this summer to discuss the agricultural policies that will be funded in 2026. Due to the passage of the Reconciliation Bill in June, there is not likely to be a Farm Bill in 2025, and if there is one, it will
Help us make a difference by contacting your Members of Congress today! The 2018 Farm Bill has been extended until September 30, 2025. Rather than passing a new Farm Bill, Congress extended the Farm Bill for another year. Without Congressional action, core organic programs, including the Organic Certification Cost Share Program, have expired, leaving thousands
Our small farmers and local food systems have been directly targeted by USDA cuts during the first months of the Trump administration including: Investing in our farms and local food system is critical for ensuring that we will be able to feed our communities. Maine is unique in that the average age of our farmers
On Friday, February 28, 2025, we held a press conference in South Portland, Maine, to hear from Maine farmers who are among those directly impacted by the federal funding freeze of United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) payments. Millions of dollars in USDA funding, including funding for a variety of innovative, science-based programs that support
You’ve probably already heard the news that the Trump administration issued a sweeping federal freeze on all federal funding programs, which was then paused by a federal judge, and subsequently rescinded by the Administration. Programs that MOFGA implements for our farmers and our local food system are among the many thousands of programs that have
The White House released a memo last week calling for a pause on all federal grants and contracts, and a review of activities including, but not limited to, “financial assistance for foreign aid, nongovernmental organizations, DEI, woke gender ideology, and the green new deal.” Two days later the memo was rescinded while the underlying executive order from
Bills That MOFGA Followed In The 2024 Maine Legislative Session Below is a summary of the state legislation that MOFGA focused on in 2024. Appropriations Bill # Title Summaries MOFGA Position MOFGA Testimony Status LD 2214 An Act to Make Supplemental Appropriations and Allocations for the Expenditures of State Government, General Fund and Other Funds
